The Vision Research Workshop is a trainee run symposium of poster and papers from throughout the Medical School, Wayne State University, Henry Ford Hospital and Oakland University.

It highlights the research accomplishments of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, research assistants/associates, residents, clinical fellows and medical students.

This activity has been approved for 3 CME Credits.

Robert N. Frank Clinical Translational Lecturer: Rachel R. Caspi, PhD presenting “Commensal Microbiota and the Eye”

Dr. Rachel Caspi is is a tenured senior investigator, Section Head and Chief of the Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, NIH. She also holds an Adjunct Professorship at the University of Pennsylvania Sch. Med. Dr. Caspi’s research centers on responses to immunologically privileged retinal antigens in animal models of autoimmune uveitis, a potentially blinding human disease.

Her recent work emphasizes the role of the gut microbiome in this process. Dr. Caspi’s work studies have elucidated many basic mechanisms and helped devise clinically relevant immunotherapeutic approaches.

She is the recipient of the 2010 Friedenwald award and the 2012 Alcon Research Institute award and has authored and co-authored over 240 publications.